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THE HISTORY OF A GREAT INDUSTRY 



JOHN LUCHSINGfcR 
Historian of the Swiss Colony at New (jlanis 



I From PtiiitjinKb I i (11- bi.iti- nistnriiil 3.)v:ui\ .i Wisconiin. :;,- i 



M.\DlSON 
Statk Historical Society of Wisconsin 



THE HISTORY OF A GREAT INDUSTRY 



/ BY 

JOHN LUCHSINGER 
Historian of the Swiss Colony at New Glarus 



[From Proceedings of The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1898 J 



MADISON 

State Historical Society of Wisconsin 
1899 



40068 

THE ^^/,10RY OF A GREAT INDUSTRY. 



I5Y JOHN LUCHSINOER. 

That portion of Wisconsin which lies west of Rock River and 
south of the Wisconsin is the blue-grass region of the State, — 
underlaid with limestone, the work and product of ages on ages 
of beings that lived, worked, and perished, their remains piled 
up in petrified masses; when crumbled by frost and softened by 
rains, they give up their long-stored substance to nourish the 
rich vegetation which now flourishes above. The luxuriant 
blue-grass which covers hill and dale, is the means by which 
nature draws from the old and buried past, nourishment and 
life for the present. It covers the surface as with a dense car- 
pet; frost and drouth cannot stifle it so long as its roots are 
nourished by the exhaustless stock of limestone beneath. Hill 
and valley afford the finest pastures and meadows for the 
many herds of dairy cattle which one sees; and these produce 
the milk from which is made the excellent butter and cheese for 
■which this region is noted. 

Cheese factories and creameries dot the landscape, more and 
more frequently, as one gets nearer the hills and among them. 
The little city of Monroe, county seat of Green county, is in the 
very midst of the cheese region. Beautifully located on a high, 
rolling plateau, it has a progressive, intelligent population of 
nearly 4,000. In this county are two hundred cheese factories 
and thirty creameries. Practically all of the farmers are inter- 
ested in the dairy business. Ten million pounds of cheese were 
made in this county alone, in the year 1898; and nearly as 
much more in the counties adjoining. 

While this is a remarkable showing of the extent of this 
business, yet the most interesting and singular feature about 

' Address before the State Historical Convention at Madison, February 
23, 1899. # 



HISTORY OF A GREAT INDUSTRY. 22/ 

it is the fact that all or nearly all of this cheese is of the for- 
eign or fancy varieties; not one per cent is of the American, 
or standard cheddar kind. The most of it is the well known 
Swiss cheese. Another noteworthy fact is that nearly all of 
those engaged in making this cheese, and in buying and sell- 
ing it, are Swiss or of Swiss origin. It is as common to hear, 
in Green county, broad Swiss spoken, and to hear the Yodel 
song from far-away Switzerland, as to hear German in Mil- 
waukee. 

How this great business originated and grew to its present 
dimensions is , an interesting study. How, from extremely 
humble and small beginnings made by people driven by poverty 
to found new homes in this once wild land, it has been possible 
to establish this immense industry, is an object lesson of the 
highest value, especially to those who, impatient of step-by- 
step advancement, would jump at one bound into greatness. No 
nation ever became great suddenly; no great business or fortune 
has ever been built up, except by patient and persistent work. 
Even character and reputation are formed little by little, by 
every-day actions, words and thoughts. So this great dairy in- 
dustry does not owe its greatness to large investment of capi- 
tal, loud advertising or lucky speculation. Patient toil and wise 
use of the little germs of knowledge of this business, which a 
few Swiss immigrants fifty-four years ago brought with them, 
have accomplished this great work. 

America, since its discovery by Europeans, has been peopled 
by swarm after swarm of colonists detached from the great Eu- 
ropean hive. Religious persecutions, political troubles, and 
wars have caused many such emigrations; but poverty, that 
greatest mover of man's energies and ambitions, did more to 
bring colonists here than all other causes. And poverty, or 
rather the energy it begot, caused the origin of this remark- 
able business. 

Switzerland, from a farmer's view, is one of the most sterile 
countries of Europe. More than half its surface is unfit for cul- 
tivation, because of rocks and glaciers. Its people get a living 
only by unceasing work and strict frugality. It is rich only in 
heroic history, grand scenery and an ever-overflowing population. 



228 . WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

From that country, in 1845, forced by economic necessity, twenty- 
seven families came to "Wisconsin. Like the bees before swarm- 
ing, they had sent in advance two pioneers to spy out the land 
and find a suitable settling place. These two, after months 
of weary travel through nearly all of the Northwestern States, 
passed by the broad rich prairies of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and 
Missouri, near to commei'ce and transportation, as unfit for 
their purpose, and, among the roughest hills of Green county, 
selected the location for the colony, which complied closest with 
the instructions they had, to secure a location as like old Switz- 
erland as possible, that there might be less homesickness. 

The colony after a journey of four months — down the Rhine 
to the ocean in boats, across the ocean to Baltimore in a sailing 
vessel, thence to Galena by canal and steamer, from Galena to 
Green county on foot — clustered in the little valley of New 
Glarus, and began the usual work of the early settler.' Here, 
the gi'eatest of all industries in southern Wisconsin had its 
birth. Just as soon as the settler owned a cow, the germ of 
knowledge of cheesemaking, which he had brought with him, 
began to sprout. At first, infinitely small was the growth; a 
pailful of milk, a little copper kettle, and a wooden hoop split 
from a sapling, were the beginnings of the industry. Cheeses no 
larger than a saucer, which could be held by the hand of a child, 
were the ancestors of the 200-lb. Swiss cheese now standard. 

The little kettle, used for cooking purposes and hung in the fire- 
place of the log cabin, was the predecessor of the cheese-factory, 
with all its conveniences, of today. The wife and daughter 
were the first cheesemakers, because the m en could spare no 
time from the work of clearing, breaking and fencing. They 
went to work with what poor means were at their command; 
their cheeses became larger and better, as increase in cows and 
experience came, and a steady and remunerative market was 
created for what could be spared. Up to 1870, cheese was not 
made by any factory system; each cheese dairy used only the 
milk produced on one farm. Of course a spirit of emulation 

'See Mr. Luchsinger's historical sketch, "The Planting of the Swiss 
Colony at New Glarus, Wis.," Wis. Hist. Colls., xi.— Ed, 



HISTORY OF A GREAT INDUSTRY. 229 

arose, and it became a matter of pride to produce better cheese 
than others. 

A little incident witnessed by the writer, illustrates the feel- 
ing then prevailing. Two settlers named Rudy and George met. 
Rudy said to George: "I have had splendid cheese this season; 
I have sold two wagon loads at Madison for 12 cents a pound, and 
am going to Freeport next week with another load for which I 
expect 13 cents a pound. I have but a very few inferior cheese. " 

George listened and smoked, and said nothing until Rudy 
■closed his talk by saying: '" How is it with you, George? Have 
you hauled off any of your cheese?" 

George slowly took his pipe from his mouth and said, " No. " 

"Why, what is the matter; ain't your cheese ripe?" 

"Nothing is the matter," said George, "I have no cheese to 
haul awa)'; I have sold them all as fast as they have ripened, 
right at home, for 14 cents a pound." 

Cheesemaking by dairy farmers continued to increase, but 
wheat-growing was, until 1870, the principal business of the 
farmer. Then came the chinch bugs in such swarms as to 
ruin not only the wheat crops but also barley, oats, and corn. 
Wheat farmers realized that a change must be made in their 
business, or the insect pests would devour their farms. Those 
in debt became more deeply involved. The young men were 
leaving the country for the farther West, preferring the hard- 
ships of a frontier life to being debt-ridden here. 

Then it was that the cheese factory came. Two small facto- 
ries were built by farmers in the roughest parts of the county; 
but, inexperienced and timid as they were, it required no small 
amount of argument and persuasion to get them to invest the 
necessary labor and money. Modest and inexpensive as the 
original venture was, the first year's results showed that climate, 
soil, grass, and people were well adapted to the profitable pro- 
duction of cheese in factories. 

So, year after year, more factories, in ever-widening circles, 
were put up; more kinds of cheese began to be made; better 
methods of making were used; the result was, a uniformity in 
quality, and an increasing market not attained under the old 
system, which was very soon abandoned. 



230 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

N. Gei'ber, J. Regez, and J. Karlen were the pioneers of the- 
factory system here, as applied to making Swiss and fancy 
cheese. 

Until very recently, all of the cheesemakers were Swiss, and 
for the most part imported, as no dairy school in this State 
teaches the making of fancy cheese. 

It is now acknowledged that Wisconsin-Swiss cheese is the equal' 
of that made in Switzerland. It has captured the American 
market; it is regularly quoted in the markets of all our cities;. 
it has come to -stay. Why not ? With Swiss farmers, Swiss- 
cheesers, Swiss merchants, the best of grasses and water, and 
intelligent management, it cannot fail to produce an article 
which has reduced importation of foreign cheese to a minimum. 

I will only add that in the dairy section named, farmers of 
all nationalities have perforce been drawn into the production 
of dairy goods. Very few there ai^e who are not directly or 
Indirectly connected with this business, which, with its neces- 
sary accompaniments of regular, steady work and intelligent 
attention all the year round, has done much to make south- 
western Wisconsin one of the most law-abiding, intelligent,, 
progressive, and prosperous farming sections of the whole 
country. 



tTi mid 891 513 5^ 



